Apparatus for washing beer kegs or like containers



M. RUDDICK Oct. 7, 1969 APPARATUS FOR WASHING BEER KEGS 0R LIKECONTAINERS Filed Feb. 2. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet l Invenlor M U KE' Run \cky Uld'lwu Attorney;

d-Aum Oct. 7, 1969 M. RUDDICK 3,470,891

APPARATUS FOR WASHING BEER KEGS 0R LIKE CONTAINERS Filed Feb. 2, 1968 2Sheets-Sheet 2 lnvenlor Mmmc: Runmr-K llorneys United States Patent3,470,891 APPARATUS FOR WASHING BEER KEGS 0R LIKE CONTAINERS MauriceRuddick, Kent, England, 'assignor to Burnett & Rolfe Limited, Strood,Rochester, Kent, England, a British company Filed Feb. 2, 1968, Ser. No.702,726 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Mar. 7, 1967,

Int. Cl. B08b 3/10, 9/00; B67d 5/32 US. Cl. 13457 8 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE An automatic washing machine for washing beer kegs orlike containers of the kind which has ahead for connection to a bunghole of the container with two ducts extending through it, one for thesupply of washing liquid to the container under the control of ashut-01f valve and the other for the drainage of the washing liquid fromthe container, is provided with a timing device and a measuring device,which measures the quantity of Washing liquid supplied to the container,together with a device which produces a signal if the rate of supply ofthe washing liquid as determined by the timing and measuring device isless than a predetermined minimum.

This invention relates to automatic washing machines for washing metalbeer kegs or like containers which are now generally used for holdingbeer and other potable liquids. v

The usual form of machine for this purpose has a head for connection toa bung hole or like opening in the container with two ducts extendingthrough it. One duct is for the supply of washing liquid to thecontainer and is provided with a shut-off valve which controls the flowof washing liquid and the other duct is for the drainage of washingliquid from the container. The head is applied to the bung hole or otheropening of the container, usually with the container in an invertedposition with the opening downwards and the washing cycle then takesplace. This cycle includes a number of periods of supply of washingliquid to the container separated by periods in which the liquidpreviously supplied is drained out. The drainage of the liquid throughthe drainage'duct is brought about by the supply of air or steam underpressure through the head. The air or steam may be supplied through thesame duct as the washing liquid or through a separate, third ductprovided through the head.

In previous automatic washing machines for washing such containers, thevolume of washing liquid supplied through the head has been controlledby only pressure and time. The washing liquid is supplied at apre-determined pressure and the shut-01f valve controlling the supplythrough the head has been opened for a pre-determined time. Usually thewashing liquid is supplied through a spear which extends from theopening of the container upwards towards the bottom of the container.This spear or possibly even the washing liquid supply duct through thehead may be obstructed and in consequence the time for which the washingliquid is supplied gives no indication of the volume of liquid supplied,because, owing to the obstruction, the rate of flow consequent upon thepredetermined pressure may be very small and no proper washing thereforetakes place. Equally, however, it is not satisfactory merely to measurethe volume of washing liquid supplied because if the rate of flow is toosmall there will be' no satisfactory washing action.

' According to this invention an automatic washing machine for washingbeer kegs or like containers having a 3,470,891 Patented Oct. 7, 1969head for connection to a bung hole or like opening in the container withtwo ducts extending through the head, one for the supply of Washingliquid to the container under the control of a shut-off valve and theother for the drainage of washing liquid from the container is providedwith a timing device and a measuring device, which measures the quantityof washing liquid supplied to the container together with a device whichproduces a signal if the rate of supply of washing liquid as determinedby the timing and measuring devices is less than a pre-determincdminimum.

The preferred arrangement is that the timing device is set in operationas the shut-off valve is opened to admit washing liquid and the timingdevice causes the signal to be produced if more than a pre-determinedtime interval elapses for the flow of a pre-determined quantity ofliquid measured by the measuring device. Alternatively, however, thetiming device may be arranged to open the valve for a pre-determinedtime interval and the signal is produced if less than the pre-determinedquantity of liquid has flowed into the container during this timeinterval.

The signal may be an alarm signal or give some other indication to anoperator of the machine that the machine is not functioningsatisfactorily, or alternatively, the signal may operate a control whichautomatically shuts down the machine to enable the trouble to beinvestigated. The arrangement thus ensures that not only has apre-determined volume of washing liquid been supplied to the containerin any cycle of operation, but also that the flow has been at asuflicient rate to give a satisfactory washing action.

The measuring device may be a conventional form of flow meter fittedwith a timing device arranged to produce a signal if the time requiredfor the flow through of the pre-determined volume of liquid is toogreat, but such flow meters are expensive and unnecessarily elaboratebecause an exact measure of the volume of washing liquid as it flows isunnecessary.

A simple and inexpensive device which will perform the necessaryfunction comprises, in accordance with a further feature of theinvention, a tank for the washing liquid carried on a spring mounting sothat it moves upwards and downwards in dependence upon the weight ofwashing liquid in it, the tank having a washing liquid inlet providedwith a shut-off valve and an outlet leading to the shut-ofi valvecontrolling the liquid supply through the head, an air pressureconnection for the supply to the tank of air under pressure to force outwashing liquid through the head, the air pressure connection having avalve for allowing the supply of air to the tank or venting the tank anda control device which is sensitive to the upward and downward movementof the tank and is conne'cted to the timing device to cause the signalto be produced if the upward movement of the tank corresponding to theremoval from it of the pre-determined quantity of liquid takes longerthan the pre-determined time interval.

The various valves, that is the shut-off valve controlling the flow ofwashing liquid through the head, the shut-off valve in the washingliquid inlet to the tank and the valve in the air connection to the tankmay all be pneumatically ope-rated and in this case the means sensitiveto the movement of the tank is also pneumatic. Preferably, though, theair supply to the three valves to open and close them is controlledindirectly by electrically-operated valves which are in turn controlledby the means sensitive to the movement of the tank. The means sensitiveto the movement of the tank then comprises two sticthes operated by amember which moves with the tank. One switch is operated when the tankis empty, or substantially so, and is thus at the top of its movementand the other switch is operated by the downward movement to the tankbrought about by the supply to it of the pre-determined quantity ofwashing liquid.

The electrically-operated valves are preferably actuated by a sequencecontroller which is in turn controlled in part by the two switches. Thesequence controller then brings about a cycle of operations in whichfirst the shutoff valve in the washing liquid inlet to the tank isopened and the tank is vented to atmosphere through the valve in the airpressure connection so that washing liquid flows into the tank until thepredetermined quantity is reached whereupon the second switch isoperated and causes the controller to close the inlet valve; the valvein the air pressure connection subsequently being operated to connectedthe tank to the supply of air under pressure and the shut-off valvecontrolling the supply of liquid through the head is opened and thetiming device is started.

An example of an automatic washing machine constructed in accordancewith the invention will now be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a circuit diagram showing the washing head with the washingliquid supply and drainage pipes connected to it, a measuring tank forthe washing liquid together with the pneumatic and electrical circuitsfor controlling the various valves in the machine; and

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation to a larger scale of the measuring tanktogether with its liquid supply and delivery connection and air supplyconnection.

In FIGURE 1, liquid supply and drainage pipes are shown in double lines,pneumatic connections are shown in chain-doted lines and electricalconnections in single full lines.

The machine includes a washing head 1, which is shown diagrammaticallyin FIGURE 1 applied to a hung hole 2 of a metal beer keg 3. The head 1has a washing liquid supply duct 4 and a drainage duct 5 extendingthrough it. The duct 4 is connected at its inlet end to a washing liquidsupply pipe 6 and it leads to a projecting spigot 7 which, when the head1 is applied to the bung hole 2, engages with a spear 8 within the keg3. The drainage duct 5 is connected to a drainage pipe 9.

The washing liquid supply pipe 6 leads through a pneumatically operatedshut-off valve 10 to a pipe 11 the upper part of which is flexible andis connected to a liquid measuring tank 12. A source of washing liquid13 is connected through a pipe 14 and a pneumatically operated shut-offvalve 15 to the pipe 11 through which it also communicates with the tank12.

As is shown in detail in FIGURE 2 of the drawings, the tank 12 has amounting bracket 16 at its righthand side and this bracket is connectedthrough a horizontal pivot pin 17 to a further bracket 18 which is fixedto a stationary support frame 19. The tank 12 is further supportedtowards its lefthand side by a coiled compression spring 20 the lowerend of which is located on a spigot 21 which is fixed on the frame 19and the upper end of which is located by a further spigot 22 and acts ona plate 23 fixed to the tank 12.

A continuation of the plate 23 forms an arm 24 which projects between alower microswitch 25 and an upper microswitch 26. The microswitches 25and 26 are both fixed to an upright plate 27 by bolts which pass throughslots in the plate and by loosening the bolts, the microswitches 25 and26 can be adjusted in position upwards and downwards.

In the centre of the bottom of the tank 12 is a spigot 28 to which thepipe 11, which is a flexible hose pipe, is fixed by a clip 29. The lowerend of the hose pipe 11 leads through a length of rigid piping to thevalve 10 which has a union 30 to which the pipe 6 (which is not sown inFIG- URE 2) is fixed. The pipe 14 is connected to the length of rigidpipe at the bottom of the pipe 11 and leads to the valve 15 which has aunion 31 which is connected to the detergent supply header 13, which isnot shown in solenoid-operated valve 39 with a pipe 40 which also communicates with the air supply 37 through the pipe 36. Thesolenoid-operated valve 39 is electrically connected through a lead 41to a sequence controller 42 which incorporates a timing device. Thesequence controller and timer 42 consists of conventional solid-stateelectronic circuits with an electrically operated timer, but instead itmay equally well consist of control circuits with electro-mechanicalrelays and an electrical timer or it may consist of a conventionalmechanical sequence controller driven by an electric motor.

The valves 10 and 15, which are also pneumatically operated, areindirectly controlled by the sequence controller 42 in just the same wayas the valve 34. Thus the valve 10 is connected by a pneumatic pipe 43through a solenoid-operated valve 44 and a pipe 45 to the air supply 37.The solenoid-operated valve 44 is connected to the controller 42 by anelectric lead 46. When the valve 44 is energized by the controller 42,it is opened and air is supplied under pressure from the supply 37 tothe valve 10 to open the valve. Similarly, the valve 15 is connectedthrough an air supply pipe 47 to a solenoidoperated valve 48 which is inturn connected by a pipe 49 to the pipe 45 which leads to the air supply37 and by an electric lead 50 to the controller 42.

The microswitches 25 and 26 are also connected, by leads 51 and 52respectively, to the sequence controller 42 and the timer which itincorporates. Finally the sequence controller is connected through anelectrical lead 53 to an alarm signal 54.

When a keg, such as the keg 3, which is to be washed has been connectedto the head 1 as shown diagrammatically in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, thesequence controller 42 with its timer together with the measuring tank12 and the switches 25 and 26 which are actuated by movement of the tank12 operate together in the following manner:

Initially the tank 12 is empty and the solenoid valves 39, 44 and 48 aredenergized and closed. Closure of the valve 39 shuts off air to the pipe38 and the valve 34 is thus in such a position that the tank 12communicates with the atmosphere through the pipes 33 and 35. The valves44 and 48 shut off the supply of air to the valves 10 and 15respectively so that these are held closed. With the tank 12 empty, itis pushed upwards by the spring 20 about the pivot 17 and this holds theswitch 26 closed.

The sequence controller 42 then energizes the valve 48 which opens andallows air under pressure to be supplied to the valve 15 so that this isin turn opened. Washing liquid then flows from the supply 13 through thepipe 14, the valve 15 and the pipe 11 into the tank 12. The tank 12continues to fill until a pre-determined quantity of liquid has enteredit and this quantity is just sufiicient to compress the spring 20 tosuch an extent that the arm 24 closes the switch 25. The closure of theswitch 25 causes the controller 42 to de-energize the solenoid-operatedvalve 48 and this closes the valve 15.

Subsequently the controller 42 energizes the solenoidoperated valve 39so that this valve is opened and air is supplied to the valve 34 throughthe pipe 38. This changes over the valve 34 so that the tank 12, insteadtaneously, or immediately afterwards, the solenoidoperated valve 44 isenergized and this causes air to be supplied to the valve so that thisvalve is opened. The air under pressure in the tank 12 thus forces thewashing liquid through the pipe 11 and thence through the pipe 6 and theduct 4 into the spear 8 from where it issues into the keg 3.

At the same instant as the solenoid-operated valve 44 is energized toopen the valve 10 and start the flow of washing liquid from the tank 12,the electrically driven timer incorporated in the controller 42 isstarted and it operates for a pre-determined time interval.

As soon as the pre-deterrnined quantity of washing liquid has beenexpelled from the tank 12, the tank is moved upwards by the spring 20sufiiciently far to cause the arm 24 to close the switch 26. Providedthat this happens whilst the timer is still operating, that is providedthat it happens within the pre-determined time interval, the sequencecontroller de-energises the valve 44 so that the valve 10 is closed andit de-energises the valve 39 and causes the valve 34 to vent the tank 12to atmosphere once again through the pipe 35. The whole system is thusreturned to its initial state ready for a subsequent cycle ofoperations.

However, if the timer comes to the end of its predetermined timeinterval before the switch 26 is closed owing to some washing liquidremaining in the tank 12, the circuits within the sequence controller 42cause the alarm 54 to operate and the machine operator closes down themachine since this is an indication that there is a blockage in thewashing liquid supply to the keg 3 and this is then cleared.

I claim:

1. In an automatic washing machine for washing beer kegs and likecontainers, said machine comprising a head for connection to an openingin the container, means defining two ducts through said head, one forthe supply of washing liquid to said container and the other for thedrainage of washing liquid from said container and a shut-off valvecontrolling the flow of liquid through said liquid supply duct, theimprovement comprising a timing device operatively connected to measurethe opening time of said shut-ofi valve, a measuring device operativelyconnected to measure the quantity of water supplied through said head tosaid container and a device operatively connected to said timing deviceand said measuring device to produce a signal if the rate of supply ofWashing liquid as determined by said timing and measuring devices isless than a pre-determined minimum.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for openingsaid shut-01f valve and means for setting said timing device inoperation as said shut-ofl? valve is opened, said timing device causingsaid signal to be produced if more than a pre-determined time intervalelapses after the opening of said valve for the flow of a pre-determinedquantity of liquid measured by said measuring device.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said measuring devicecomprises a tank, spring means mounting said tank for upward movement independence upon the weight of washing liquid in said tank, meansdefining a washing liquid inlet to said tank, a shut-01f valve in saidinlet, outlet means extending from said tank to said shutolf valvecontrolling the supply of liquid to said inlet duct in said head, an airpressure connection for the supply to said tank of air under pressure toforce out washing liquid through said outlet means and through said ductin said head, valve means in said air pressure connection, said valvemeans being operable to permit the supply of air tosaid tank or to ventsaid tank to atmosphere, a control device which is sensitive to saidupward and downward movement of said tank and means connecting saidcontrol device with said timing device to cause said signal to beproduced it upward movement of said tank corresponding to the removalfrom said tank of said predetermined quantity of liquid takes longerthan said predetermined time interval.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 3, further comprising pneumatic meansoperating said shut-off valves and electrically-operated valve meanscontrolling said pneumatic means.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4, further comprising meanselectrically controlling said valve means in said air pressureconnection and wherein said control device which is sensitive to saidmovement of said tank comprises first and second electrical switches anda member connected to said tank for operating said switches in responseto upward and downward movement of said tank.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein said first switch isoperated by said member when said tank is empty and is at the top of itsmovement and said second switch is operated by downward movement of saidtank and said member brought about by the supply through said inletmeans of said pre-determined quantity of washing liquid.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a sequencecontroller and means connecting said sequence controller to saidelectrically operated valve means, said sequence controller beingoperative to bring about a cycle of operations in which first saidshut-off valve in said washing liquid inlet means is opened and saidvalve means in said air pressure connection vents said tank toatmosphere whereby washing liquid flows into said tank until saidpre-determined quantity is reached whereupon said second switch isoperated by said member and causes said sequence controller to closesaid shut-01f valve in said inlet means, said valve means in said airpressure connection subsequently being operated by said controller toconnect said tank to said supply of air under pressure and said shut-offvalve controlling said supply of liquid through said head is opened andsaid timing device is started.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein said means mounting saidtank comprises pivot means on one side of said tank and spring means atthe opposite side of said tank and said member which operates saidswitches comprising an arm projecting laterally from said tank at theside of said tank adjacent said spring means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,587,386 6/1926 Lewis 134-1662,565,150 8/1951 Stageberg 134-57 XR. 2,694,402 11/1954 Phillips et a1.134-113 XR 3,018,922 1/1962 Williamson 222- XR 3,252,623 5/1966 Corbinet al 222-70 XR DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

